Return to ZorkReturn to Zork

Game Details:  Fantasy, 1993

Links:  Moby Games, Steam, Adventure Gamers

Walkthrough Updated:  7/30/2004

Suggested Listening:  Give Up Now (Ash 25)

Return to Zork is a first-person graphical adventure set in the universe of the classic Zork games. You begin the game at the white house from the original game, receiving a video message indicating you have won a prize to travel to the Valley of the Sparrows; on arriving something appears to have gone horribly wrong. The next in the series of graphical Zork adventures is Zork Nemesis: The Forbidden Lands.

Introduction

Take pictures of every scene possible, and show all items and pictures to every character. Never drop any items, as you will probably need them again. At the Mountain Pass, pick up the rock and throw it at the vulture, then use your knife to dig up the bonding plant at the base of the sign. Go to the lighthouse and inside, talk to the keeper. Go back outside and around to the side of the lighthouse (don't go down the Road to the South!). Cut the vines with your knife, then use them on the planks to make a raft. Use the raft to ride down the river, and you will reach Old West Shanbar.

Old West Shanbar

Go in to see the mayor (near left) - talk to him and read his files (particularly the "Toasting" ritual). Walk to the schoolhouse (near right) and ring the bell with your knife. Answer the teacher's questions (copy protection), and you will get a notebook. Head on to the hardware store (far right), and get the box and crank (ignore the mice). Go back to the bridge and go down to talk to the Waif (don't threaten him!). Climb up and go left to visit Boos Myller. Each time you get a drink, pour it into the potted plant, toast Boos, and pretend to drink (so you don't end up drunk). After the third drink, ask for his keys. He will pass out after the fourth drink. Get the silver flask, and walk out the other door to get the gift shop key, and pull the chock out of the water wheel.

Go to the gift shop. Take the money and tickets from the cash register, and the battery from the shelf. Put the battery in the Teleglobe. Return to the Waif and exchange the tickets for a gift. While you are there, fill your flask with water from the river. Go back to the mill and down the trap door. Use Boos' keys to unlock the door and go through.

East Shanbar

Visit Moodock's Armoury (red on left) and beat him at Survivor to earn a sword and a coin. Go to the Blacksmith's (far right) and get him to clean the sword - while that is happening, talk to Molly at the Inn. Go back and pay the Blacksmith his 2 zorkmids. Cross the bridge and go left from the Hero's Memorial to the Fool's Memorial. Pick up the joke book - you need to get other people to read this. Go right to Pugney's Farm and talk to Pugney. If you use the "apologetic" expression, he will let you take the box from the lawn. Take it, then go back to the Fool's Memorial and head left to Snoot's Farm.

Enter through the window, and step through the far door on the left. After getting assaulted (unavoidable), answer the second copy protection question. Go and take the meat from the refrigerator and the Thermozz from the table. Put the soap in the sink and turn on the water. Wash the Waif's gift to get the first piece of the Flying Disk of Frobozz. Go to the bedroom and take the mirror. Find the vicious poodle and make sure you have the growling on tape for later. On your way back out of the house, go right to the silo. Use the crank from the warehouse clockwise to break the silo open, then take some carrots. Go back to the incinerator in town. Pull lever 1 and throw the bra box into the incinerator. Pull lever 1 to close the furnace, then lever 2 to open the draw. Zoom in then pour your water (in the flask) on the wire to cool it, so you can take it. Use the wire to pick the lock on the door of the general store. Shake the cereal box two times to find the vulture whistle. Take it, then catch the rats and put them in the warehouse crate.

Further Afield in the Forests

Leave town, past the incinerator. Take the right path and take a picture of the Whispering Woods, then go back and take the left fork - you should run into Rebecca here. Keep going down the path and take the tiles. Step into the woods and come out again, and you will find a frame. Put the tiles into the frame to create a sliding-block puzzle. When it is solved, it spells the following message:

Water unseen at falls
Mix with bat dropping
Yields potion for invisibility

Note: You must solve this puzzle to complete the game. Turn around and look at the ground again - get the illumynite and 2nd Disk piece. Visit Ben Fyshin (left from the bridge). Show him a picture of any woman and he will give you a private letter. Click on the knot and he will show you how to make a cow-hitch knot. Rent a boat, then put the rats in the motor. Go forward down the river to the swamp, and the witch's hut. Drop the meat outside her front door or she won't talk to you. Show Witch Itah your book to get your first joke, then give her Ben's letter. When she leaves, take her stick (don't touch the bat cage). Go out the back door and walk through the bogs, testing the earth with the stick.

When you escape the bogs, go back to the Spirit Forest - once inside, go north, east, east, south to the Zorkmid Tree. Hit the tree with the stick, then pick up the money. Exit the forest (north, west, west, south) and rent another boat from Ben. Show the witch the picture of the Whispering Woods, and you can take the bats. Pick up your rotting meat, then go through the bogs again. Walk back to Pugney's Farm and enter the barn. Pick up some hay, then drop it again. Light a match and use it on the hay. Warm your hands over the fire, then use the Thermozz with the cow to get some milk. Back into the Spirit Woods again, and go north, north, west, south, west. Give the Thermozz of milk to the archer, then take all his stuff. Go north twice, then face west, light a match, and go west. Be friendly to the fairy to get some fairy dust. Exit the forest (east, south, south, east, north, east, south, south) and go back to Pugney's barn. Head northwest to the Vulture Pits. Sprinkle the fairy dust on the meat, then throw it. After the vultures fall asleep, go inside and take the talon.

Go all the way back to West Shanbar (through the mill). Show the book to the Mayor, and Ms. Peepers. Also show Ms. Peepers a picture of Moodock to learn about a secret move in Survivor. Go back to the Whispering Woods. Walk straight in for a few screens and back out again. When your peripheral vision fails, drink some milk. You need to get some more milk, so head back to the barn. Feed the carrots to Bossy (the cow), then warm your hands and get some more milk. Pick up some more carrots at Snoot's Farm, then go back to the Whispering Woods. When you enter, free the bats, and follow their guano (droppings). Pick up one piece of it, and follow the trail, drinking milk when you need to. You will reach the Ferry Terminal eventually. Ring the bell 3 times, and show the skeletal ferryman your coin (but don't give it to him).

Canuk's Shack

When you arrive, walk up the path to the shack. Use your sword to pry off the magnetic door knocker, then go inside. Pick up the scroll and read it to the duck. Show the book to Canuk to learn a 3rd joke, and ask him about your other items (particularly the disk pieces). Click on the bottle at the back of the room and ask him about it. Once you are in the bottle, read the safe combination on the outside of the room, then go inside. Pick up the rag, then set the tumblers to 9427 and open the safe. Take the disk piece and the rusty metal. Close the safe and have the mirror in your hands. Exit the bottle (where you started) and Canuk will once again be a duck (you reflected the spell). Feed the scroll to the duck, and take the egg that he lays. Return to the dock and ring the bell twice. Show the coin again to return to East Shanbar. Following the trail of bat guano out of the woods.

Exploring Again

Return to the Blacksmith. Show him the broken sword and use the threatening expression several times. He will admit he gave you a different sword, and you will get a voucher. Give this to Ben to get the real sword. Walk around until you bump into Rebecca again (most likely right at the Hero's Memorial), and show her the book to get the final joke. Go to the Cliffs of Depression (left from Snoot's Farm), pick up the rope, and tie it to the tree. Get out your tape recorder and set it to play the four jokes (just find the appropriate people and skip to the right track) - this saves time later. Climb down the rope and enter the Comedy Club. Play the four jokes (completely) and Cliff will give you another piece of the Flying Disk. Climb back up and take the rope with you.

Rent a room from Molly at the Inn, and get in the elevator. Once in your room, put the illumynite on the night stand and turn off the light (using the monitor). After the dream, turn on the light, get the rocks and leave. Go to any open place (eg. the ruins), hold the magnet and use it with the whistle. A vulture will carry you to wherever you want - go to the lighthouse. Give the keeper one of your illumynite rocks, and talk to him for a while. Show him your Disk pieces and he will give you another one. Go upstairs and tie the rope to the railing (using the knot you were shown earlier). Tie the talon to the rope and throw the rope. Cross the rope bridge, then go forward to reach the temple. Take the shield from the statue and go inside. Act "fascinated" while talking to the Holy Woman to learn more about the Disk. You will now be able to click on the map to travel to any destination.

Give the Holy Woman the sword so she will bless it. On your way out, go right from the courtyard to reach the Dwarf Mines. One of the dwarves will give you a miner's helmet, and you will learn some mine car directions from a conversation (you will use them later). Go back across the rope bridge and take the rope (you need the talon). Use your map to go to the Troll Caverns. Wear your helmet and have your sword ready - you need to kill 3 guards! Use a left stroke, up stroke, and finally down stroke to kill them. When you reach the chief, repeatedly "threaten" him, and he will eventually give you a necklace.

Go to the Spirit Forest, and walk north, north, west, south, west, north, north, west, west, north 3 times, east 5 times, south, east - you will see a pile of leaves. Throw anything at the leaves to set off a trap (eg. the rusty metal thing). Go east, and then north until you reach the Hungry Boar Memorial. Strike it three times with your sword for the sixth and final piece of the disk. Back up one step, then go west, north, west 4 times, south, west, west, north, west, west - you will see a spider. Show it the necklace, then break the web with your sword. Go forward twice, then fill the silver flask from the back of the waterfall, and drop in the piece of guano - you have an invisibility potion!

A Whole Disk

Use the map to return to the Dwarf mines. Go forward through the camp and hop in the mine car, then go left, right, straight, right, left, right, straight, right, left, left, right, straight. The car should end at the seven statues. Put your Disk pieces into the trencher, then put the following items on the statues (left to right):

  • Witch stick
  • Talon
  • Thermozz
  • Box & helmet
  • Shield
  • Orb

Push the green button, then after the cutscene, take the whole Disk from the trencher. Use the map to reach the cliffs, and go left to where the path is blocked. Throw the disk to remove the Wall of Illusion.

The Citadel of Zork

Use the bow with the arrows to shoot the hand and open the door. Get your tape recorder with the hellhound (Alexis) track ready. Walk in, drink from your flask, and play the tape to scare the Orc guard. In the next room, throw everything at the bridge. If the bridge isn't safe yet, go and get some hay and throw that too. Save your game.

Cross the bridge to meet Morphius. Play a game of Survivor against him, this time as the Wizard. Remember you can pass if you want to. Win this game, and you have completed the game.